


A Watery Grave

by Grimweaver



Series: Memoirs of a Listener [4]
Category: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-30 18:22:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12114528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grimweaver/pseuds/Grimweaver
Summary: Malkhai accepts her first Dark Brotherhood contract from Valtieri. She is in for a bit of a surprise on the evening that it is complete.





	1. Chapter 1

 

I took in a long deep breath before opening the coinpurse. If it was possible for there to be remaining doubt, it would have vanished completely the instant that I saw the letters 'MRA' (Malkhai Rei Ale'Zandre). I had it stamped on the inside so that if a thief had snatched it there was a better chance of claiming its contents or compensation if it was ever found in their possession.

 

                There was no possibility of it being a coincidence. Lucien was indeed the Hunter.

 

                Suddenly knowing the answer to the old question of what had become of him, my mind was filled with more questions. The world around me grew silent and dark as I continued to stare down at the coinpurse, lost in reflection and steadily growing anxiety.

 

I didn't realize that Ocheeva had entered the living quarts until I caught her by the corner of my eye, and the sudden movement she made as she took a seat at the table startled me.

 

                “Oh! Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you, my dear!” She said with a chuckle, seeing me jump. “My but you must have a lot on your mind. What’s troubling you?”

                “Um…” I wasn’t sure if I should tell her about our little history. I was reluctant to take a chance of speaking about what might've been for us alone to know, so I brought up a concern I had from the night before. “I couldn’t help noticing… that while LaChance was very warm and well-mannered… he seemed so… distant… like something was eating at him all evening. He barely said more than a few words and…”

                Ocheeva nodded. “He um… recently lost a dear friend and Family member. He’d been something like a… right-hand man to our Speaker.”

                “I see.”

                “We tell ourselves that because of our line of work we should be prepared to let our Brothers and Sisters go to the Dread Father. But truly, no one can be… because we are also urged to love and cherish them… and for someone like Lucien, who takes on the role of a paternal figure to just about everyone young enough to be his child, it’s especially hard.”

                “Yeah... I bet.”

                “He raised my brother Teinaava and I, you know. He’s practically our father. It is his love and devotion that has kept the brotherhood so strong- it is a wonder that he is not the Listener’s successor. But a heart that loves the most will break the most.”

                “Agh… don’t I know that.” I sighed.

                “Ah!” Ocheeva cleared her throat. “I almost forgot why I came down here. I’m supposed to inform you that, when you are ready, you must go speak with Vicente Valtieri—he has your first contract waiting for you.”

                “Wow, that was fast.”

                “We’ve been getting a steady flow of contracts lately, keeping all of us really busy, especially since… er… never mind. There is no hurry, but don’t keep him waiting too long.”

                “Yes, Mistress.”

 

~*~

 

                After finishing my breakfast, I wasted no time heading straight to Valtieri’s quarters. I will admit that I was unnerved, knowing full well that he is a vampire. I didn’t know Valtieri beyond what I had sensed about him the previous night, so while I must respect him as my superior and primary source of contracts, I am not ready to trust him wholeheartedly.

 

                As I approached with caution from around the corner and through the double doors, which were already halfway open, I saw the slender and polished Breton sitting at his desk, focused heavily on a letter he was writing.

                “Mr. Valtieri.” I said with a few small knocks on the right door. “Sorry to interrupt you, but—"

                “Ah, there you are Ms. Ale’Zandre!” He beamed as he stood up and bowed his head. “How are you, M’lady?”

                “Just fine, thank you. Yourself?”

                “Doing well, thank you.”

“Ocheeva sent me down here to retrieve my first contract.” 

“Yes… already adventures in this new life await you, my Child… and we’ll get to that… but I feel I must first apologize for not formally introducing myself last evening.” He took a few steps forward- I fought the urge to coil back, but couldn’t help instinctively twitching a little when he was too close for my liking. “My name is Vicente Valtieri. As you’re probably aware by now, I am a vampire. I hope this does not unnerve you.”

 

I shook my head.

 

                “Oh… but it _does_.” He said with a grin, studying my expression with his intense red eyes. “I see the same look that many other brothers and sisters had given me in the early stages of their apprenticeship... the fear that had once taken me upon the moment I realized that I had become a vampire.” As he went on he poured himself a drink into a pewter cup. It was probably not red wine, but I prefer to assume that it was. “I was stricken with vampirism over 300 years ago. Upon realizing what I had become, I was angry, frightened, and at times self-destructive. I couldn’t have a normal life anymore… and the people of Glenumbra grew suspicious of my new routine and hired a vampire slayer to investigate. Even my own friends, whom I had known since childhood, had forsaken me. But then I found refuge here in this Sanctuary, among those I now call my brethren. They accepted and even valued what is commonly believed to be a curse as a ‘gift’. Just about every recruit had difficulty receiving me as their brother, fearing that I would ultimately prey upon them. Even Lucien was reluctant, when he joined us more than a decade ago. But fear not, Dear Sister- I am a man of the Tenets… no harm will come to you, and I will not pass this gift on to you unless you want it.”

                I shook my head. "I hate mornings and even the sun itself at times, but not enough to give them up completely. For that and many other reasons, I'm sure that I don't want to become a vampire... no offense."

                "No offense taken. It's completely understandable. It does require a great many sacrifices." He replied with a nod, then looked away as if to reflect on something. “It is difficult sometimes… but on the whole, it has made my life a lot more... _exhilarating_."

 

                He snapped out of where ever his mind went quickly and, after wiping his lips with a handkerchief he'd taken out of his shirt pocket, placed the cup on the table.

                "But enough of that… we should get straight to business." He said. "I don’t know how you feel about pirates, but you have to kill one.”

                "The same way I feel about anyone else I'm paid to kill. Indifferent." I shrugged.

                " _Good_." He said with a chuckle. "His name is _Gaston Tussaud_ , Captain of the _Marie Elena_."

                "Tussaud!" I gasped. "Oh, I know that bugger well. He's preyed upon merchant ships for years. He leaves only one man alive to tell the story of the bloody raid, so the world will know and fear him. I'm not the least bit surprised that he is a target, but that it had taken this long for someone to hire a Dark Brotherhood assassin to kill him."

                "Yes, well... the hesitation to do so is understandable. Hiring one of us requires more than just gold, but those are details for another time and higher rank. All you need to know is that he must be eliminated by any means necessary."

                "What about the rest of the crew?"

                Vicente shrugged. "That's entirely up to you. To the average initiate I would suggest you avoid the rest of the crew, knowing how unpredictable pirates tend to be. But if you are as skilled and experienced as Lucien says you are, then you should have no problem taking them all out."

                "Understood." I said with another nod. "Thank you, Mr. Valtieri. It will be done."

                "I know it will. Though I should suggest that you get in the habit of talking to your associates about your contracts. They may be able to offer you some valuable advice."

                "Noted. Perhaps I should start with you- what would you suggest?"

                "Having spent a great deal of time on ships myself, I could tell you that within the hours of dawn, there should be an opportunity to sneak yourself on board by hiding in one of the packing crates. When they're not attacking other ships, they're collecting and delivering contraband- the longer it sits on the docks the more likely a guard will inspect its contents, so they are always eager to store their cargo quickly as possible."

                "I just might do that. Thank you, Mr. Valtieri."

                "You are quite welcome. Good luck, and may the Dread Father be with you."

                "And with you."

               

 

                After we exchanged bows I took Valtieri's advice and searched around for my new allies to see if they had anything to offer in the way of helpful suggestions.

               

                But I made the mistake of starting with the one Brother that, for whatever reason, decided to hate me with a seething passion. He seemed to be in a good mood, the way he wrapped up a cheery conversation with Antoinetta before heading down the hallway, so I assumed he was up to chatting with me.

 

                "Good morning!" I said, trying to catch him before he passed me.

                "And whad ees good about eet, may I ask?" He growled, flashing his razor-sharp teeth and folding his ears back.

                "Eh... none of us have come down with amoebic dysentery? I mean, the water around these parts can be awfully..."

                "Aaah shadaap and jus' ged away from me- smardt-ass, fowl-smelling ape!"

 

                And with that he stormed off.

 

               

                "Good to see you, Dear Sister!" I heard Antoinetta say over my shoulder, before I followed after M'Raaj to ask him if there was something I did or said at dinner that would make him snap at me like that.

 

                "Good morning, Antoinetta." I answered with a forced smile.

                "Vicente gave you your first contract, didn't he??" She asked excitedly.

                "He did."

                "Ooh wonderful! Who do you have to kill?"

                "Captain Gaston Tussaud."

                "Ah, yes! He's had it coming for a while, that is for sure. It'll mean that you will probably have to board the ship." The bright sunshine in her eyes faded as her mood darkened. "I'm glad you have that contract. Spending four years on a prison ship tends to make one very fearful of ever stepping foot on one again. Even on a merchant ship, I will have flashbacks to those horrible moments that nearly claimed my life."        

                "Oh, Ms. Marie..."

                "It was cramped and dark... there was little room to move around, but plenty of shadowy nooks to hide in. You should remember that, because there tends to be a lot of hustle and bustle about all the spaces, so you'll likely need to conceal yourself and wait for people to walk by."

 

                Nothing I don't already know.

 

                "Or you could just kill them, if your contract doesn't tell you that they must be spared. That's a lot more fun." She added.

                "Hehe... thank you, Antoinetta."

                "Of course!" I turned to continue up the hallway, towards the Main Hall. "Good luck, Sister! I hope you don't get killed! I mean... Erm... well, you know!"

                "Yes." I laughed. My she was a cute one, that Antoinetta. "I do. Thanks!"

 

**End of Part I**


	2. Chapter 2

 

                I searched the Sanctuary for the other members, but they were all gone, and therefore unavailable to offer any advice, so I turned to the living quarters to pack lightly and head out to the Imperial City.

                Just before leaving through the door of the Abandoned House, I took the contract out of the envelope to see if there were any other important details. The soft peach-colored morning light just barely lit the room through its broken windows, but it was just bright enough to read it.

                A knot formed in my throat when I realized it had been written by LaChance himself.

 

                **_Assassin: (EXCLUSIVELY)_ ** _Ms. Malkhai Rei Ale'Zandre_

                **_Target:_ ** _Gaston Tussaud, Captain of the Marie Elena_

                _No special instructions. Tussaud may be killed by any means._

                **_Optional:_ ** _Eliminate the entire crew. There is no reward for additional kills, aside from personal gratification._

 

                _Exclusively? Interesting_. I thought.

                I couldn’t form a solid opinion on that, since I wasn't sure if all contracts were designated yet. I made a mental note to myself to inquire Vicente or Ocheeva about it when I returned.

 

~*~

 

                The restlessness that had me the evening Lucien departed the Sanctuary kept pulling my mind and heart away from where it needed to be, so I wasn't up to getting terribly creative with this contract. But I had to brainstorm an idea of how to study the ship without arousing the crew's suspicion, use the knowledge obtained to form a successful boarding plan, and do the deed without getting caught by the guards. As much as the legion (allegedly) despises pirates, they have never tolerated vigilantism of any sort. They always insist that problems are to be reported to them. I suppose it's embarrassing when it is proven that external organizations are more capable than the legion of delivering justice.

                I did happen upon an idea on the way to the Imperial City--my skills have never been high enough to make it a steady trade, but I’ve always enjoyed producing a few artistic pieces now and then. Though more inclined to write, I do much of it in my spare time as well, when I struggle to express in words the experiences and surrounding beauty.

                Believing the investment would pay off well in the end, I used a good portion of the gold Lucien gave me to buy a decent easel, charcoals, and a large canvas. I hauled it all to the dock of the waterfront and, ever so carefully, began to capture the ship in a rough but acceptable illustration, all the while taking note of every visible detail and considering its potential in my mission.

                Then I felt a careful approach just over my shoulder, but gave them no indication of my awareness. An artist is so focused on their work that their entire surroundings dissolve into nothingness.

 

                "Beautiful ship, isn't she?" Said the individual, revealed to be the dunmer woman I had seen patrolling the area. I faked statement with a sharp gasp and turned to face her.

                "Goodness, you scared me! Oh! I was in the zone again!" I answered. "Hmm… oh, yes very beautiful ship, indeed! Exactly why I decided that she'd be my next piece, ma'am. Never saw such fine craftsmanship... such character... such... mm... I can't think of the right words for it! I never can!"

                "Power."

                "YES!"

                "Presence."

                "Yes! Yes! Go on! You're definitely on a roll."

                "Danger."

                "Um... what?"

                "I appreciate that you admire it so... but I must warn you that this is as close as you are allowed to get. I've been ordered gut anyone who sets a foot on that boarding plank."

                "I… g-g-got it." I stuttered, backing away timidly.

 

                She then walked with a steady and proud pace back to the edge of the dock, leaving me to continue with my work uninterrupted the rest of the day.

 

~*~

 

                All the while I filled the canvas and refined the details of the painting, I had considered multiple possibilities. My attention was pulled to the crates stacked alongside the dock, thinking of Vicente's suggestion; by the end of the day I had decided that it was the best strategy. I was able to eliminate the crew one by one, working from bottom to top, and by the time I reached the cabin, there would be no one left to defend Captain Tussaud.

                "We load at twenty-two hundred, in precisely this order: from the heaviest at the far-right end, to lightest at the far-left!" The redguard bellowed, and if I was not a well comprised professional, I would've responded to this with a little dance and clap. He gave me the exact information that I needed to know. Thank the Dread Father, because if I had made the mistake of hiding in the bottom crates, the end of a cutlass would not have been the immediate threat. Skills and an armored body cannot save me from suffocation (true, a lot of crates have holes, but there's always a chance one of them is actually water-tight).

 

~*~

 

                When the last of the sun's light gave way to the black night, I left the Waterfront House in my Dark Brotherhood armor, following the path of thick shadow to the docks. After scanning the area several times, making sure it was all clear, I crawled into an open crate near the end of the stone walkway and waited with a heart full of hope that there wouldn't be a mishap during the loading process.

                Thankfully, I hadn't been in the crate for more than ten minutes before it was hoisted up from the dock and brought aboard the ship. Aside from it being a bit of a bumpy ride, there were no incidents during the transfer. But I had to get out of that crate and get to work at the very moment the opportunity presented itself, because I would've been out of luck if the Captain ordered the crew to take us all out to sea. I did not know how to steer a ship, and it was very unlikely that I could’ve forced any of them to take it back to shore at sword-point.

                When I heard the men leave the storage room, shutting the door behind them, I lifted the lid of the crate and carefully snuck up to the entrance. I was just about to open the door at a crack, to examine the area outside and consider my next move, when I heard the men converse in the hallway.

                "I really don't like it!" I heard one say. "Bringing a woman on board is considered bad luck."

                "Malvulis has sailed with us for many years and we've had nothing but great luck throughout all that time! I'd say that if anything's bad luck on this ship, it's the careless tongue of an idiot recruit that can’t keep his dangerous opinions to himself. I am the first and last to hear you complain about her being with us, do you understand??"

                "Yeah, yeah, yeah... I get it."  There was a pause for a long yawn before he continued. "Well... I think we can call it a night, now. Everything's brought on board and all the other chores are finished. There's nothing left to do."

                "Sounds good to me. We all need to get some good rest for tomorrow, when we set sail. G'night, to ya."

                "Same to you."

               

                He was right to be paranoid. Bad luck truly was brought on board, but by a different dunmer woman.

                I listened closely and waited for the sound of their footsteps to stop, then carefully advanced a short distance from the main cargo hold and peered around the doorway of a small room.

                The redguard decided to enjoy a late-night snack at his desk before counting sheep. But I didn't give him time to finish the first bite of his apple, or even to scream when I closed a hand over his mouth and broke his neck. I then moved onto my next targets, executing them in the same manner.

                It wasn't long before I had reached the Captain's Cabin, wherein Tussaud appeared to be slumbering beneath silk sheets, oblivious to his approaching death. I was tempted to wake him up and make it a more exciting confrontation, like the first contract, but I decided against it. Sometimes I’m in the mood for an exciting fight, sometimes I want to just sneak and smash. That night I wanted everything done as quickly as possible, so I simply killed him in his sleep. After the crunching twist of his neck, I ran the Blade of Woe through his throat so that there was no chance for him to survive that attack.

                _Everyone is dead._ I thought, letting out a long and quiet sigh as a wave of relief washed over me and the thrill of victory made my spirit feel ever more alive.

                After picking the ship clean of all that would fetch fine prices, I changed into some tattered clothes to make myself look like a member of the crew, swung a very large sack of the collected goods over my shoulder, and casually walked off the ship. No alarms were raised- I don't think the guards even looked at me.


End file.
